Instrument gauges used for displaying information in motor vehicles generally employ pointers which are illuminated at least at night for easy viewing. While pointer styles vary for aesthetic reasons as well as for functional viewing reasons to suit different situations, pointers usually have been illuminated from the tip to some point short of the spindle axis. It is desirable in some applications to have a longer illuminated portion of the pointer and especially including a tail portion which extends beyond the spindle axis opposite from the pointer tip.
Such tip to tail illuminated pointers have been achieved using an expensive construction and yet have resulted in non-uniform illumination along the length of the pointer. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,082 entitled "TIP TO TAIL ILLUMINATED POINTER" discloses an illuminated pointer which is inexpensive and extends across the spindle axis. That pointer achieved illumination from the tip to the tail by using an illuminated filter in the region of the axis and, along with an apertured cap, forming an extended pointer tail. The edge of the filter is visible, however, causing a discontinuity in pointer appearance.